These are some of the things I remember clearly about SMC. Children as young as 10years old were prayed with in tongues, at the friday night youth club in Cumbernauld. My friend's two children went there this is how I know. When they told their mum she withdrew them from the youth club. The childrens parents knew nothing of this. they thought it was just a normal youth club. SMC like to get them when they are young. especially if they have talents; musical, academic, coming from a well off background and so on. They really try to draw these ones in for the future of the church. I once heard at a meeting in Cumbernauld that the pastor, who is also a primary school teacher, prayed with a boy of 5-6 years old in tongues in her class room as he was being hard to control. This really concerned me and I wondered how many infants she was praying with without their parents consent. I also wondered if the head teacher knew about this. As far as I know the youth club is still going on. the childrens parents do not know how dangerous this is to these young peoples mind. They put things into their minds pretending it's coming from God. many a child has been lost to their family, in later years because of the lies that were told them. They certainly know how to train up a child in the way it should go- then they have them for life. many of these young ones grow up and never marry, because they are not allowed to marry outside their own church. They are completely controlled by the pastor, they can't even have a holiday without her say so. I have been praying about this situation for such a long time. I believe God wants to give them so much and they are not allowed to have-how sad is that. You will find even today many of the young women are unmarried. Even a healthy marriage will not survive in that place

susie

Thanks for your postings, everyone. I agree with all you have all said, as I've witnessed most of it or experienced it myself. Heart-breaking...what is going on re children and teenagers especially, but it's true, this was and IS happening.

Re the twisting of Scriptures, some came to mind.
The following concept, not the Bible verse, I have heard spoken of more than once by the female leaders:

"Wives, submit to your husbands only in trivial, everyday matters like what to get for dinner, but in the spiritual or in church, wives do not submit to your husbands, i.e. wives are in control in spiritual matters."

and another:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, except where that contradicts the teaching or instruction of a SMC leader." Note, this was applied to children of Christian families and not only unbelieving ones. See Susie's post above, re youth.

And from 1 John 2 v 19, re people who leave SMC:
"They went out from us (SMC) because they did not really belong to this church. For if they had belonged to us, they would not have left SMC." (John is speaking here of the antichrist and the problem of gnosticism in the Early Church, not believers who move churches!)

Another I heard:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel, is old-fashioned now and doesn't work now, so we don't do it".

It's really good that people are sharing things that has happened to them and others and what they saw and heard. It is good that people are getting comfort on this site from one another. The issue is not going to go away, it is damaging a lot of people, splitting families. I know that this is true cause that happened to me amd other people on this site. What can be done to stop it happening once and for all?

Hi all

I refer to my earlier post on 03/23/2011. I would like to give the other side to the young ones who are picked up because of their obvious talents. The ones who are cast aside are left to their own thoughts, mainly being that God is not interested in them. They after many months sometimes years of trying to please the leadership, thinking they are pleasing God, leave and go back into the world. They may find it hard, if not impossible to trust in any church again. Why should they? they are better treated in the world, than they would be in a church. Sad thing is they have aready been given a false impression of God. God becomes to them cold and impersonal someone you can't please and that he has favourites and your not one of them, so why try anymore?

Hi Susie
I don't know all the reasons why some people were cast aside and ignored by leaders in SMC, because I saw this happen to people who definitely had obvious talents but weren't encouraged, or even allowed in some cases, to exercise or develop these God-given talents. Praise God that some of these rejected folk are now serving God and being useful in other churches and Christian groups. But, yes, I agree that this kind of selection leaves people thinking that God isn't interested in them or what they do. Why some are chosen and nurtured in SMC and others are not, I cannot see the reason. There were favourites. Of course, we were always told that the leaders pick God's choice and God's anointed. Where does that leave the remainder, then? Just sit quietly in the pew and don't question anything.

Susie mentions young people being recruited. SMC has a gigantic focus on youth and on keeping them in the church so that the Church will keep going in the future. However, once a person gets older, they are often cast aside in favour of the young. So, as a result, many older people feel unimportant and worthless because they are held back to make way for the younger generation. There is no instruction in Scripture to do this in church life. Age should not be a factor in the calling of God.

Hi Rensil

to answer your question about why ones who were picked out in their young years as in "favoured" and then cast aside when older. they in some way had strayed from the path of complete obedience to the leadership. I had seen a few like that in my time there. You must bow down low to the leaders and accept their every word, when they say jump, you say how high? Most of the choosing was down by the decernment of the pastor I can only speak for the Cumbernauld branch as that was the one I attended. One young person who was very talented in music as well as academically minded was picked up straight away, she was a teenager very confident, smart in many ways- as in worldly wise, Diana took to her right away. Strange thing about that, the young girl used Diana not the other way about, then she got bored and left, so much for Diana's decernment. I remember thinking good for her! I hope she finds God. It's good that you answered my post, You have seen an other side of things and thats good it gives an all round picture of what is happening in SMC. I know also that the people, as in adults who are financially well off and holding good positions in the work place are encourage more than the rest -they need their tiths and offerings to keep the church going they can't afford to lose them, whether they are following God or not. I know this to be a fact.


SUSIE

I wondered if people were favoured by the leaders because of their financial support and didn't want to believe it, but now I think I do. In some branch churches of SMC, there is a big focus on the School. A lot of attention is given to the people who are working in it and financial support needed for it. After all, they need committed and loyal teachers who are united in following the beliefs of the Church, to run the School, which is a massive undertaking. But what is there for those not involved in the School?

Yes, we were always told choices were made by discernment. I too saw a few mistakes made re people who were discerned to be future leaders or have special ministries etc, but who left. Of course, it was always that person's fault, who didn't make it, we were told.

Could it be that these issues are only prevalent in some but not all of these sects ? There seem to be many offshoots now, which I list here ( i may have missed some ). Seems unfair to tar all leaders with the same brush. Maybe some are actually anointed but others are not. Anyone know what criteria an person should use in deciding whether a leader is anointed or not ?. Is there some test ?. Is there a biblical reference ? How biblical is this idea anyway>


Abronhill, Cumbernauld
Minister: Mrs. Diana Rutherford

Mission Lane, Falkirk
Minister: Miss Jennifer Jack

Westbourne Gardens, Glasgow,
Minister: Alison Speirs

Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge
Minister: Bill Winning

Minister: Mrs. Grace Gault
Greenock, Renfrewshire,

The Refuge, Wendover, Bucks,
Minister: Miss Pauline Anderson

Pen-yr-Alley Avenue, Skewen
Minister: Gareth Watkins

Arran Avenue. Port Glasgow
Minister: Mrs. Joan Jewell

Fartown Christian Fellowship
Chris & Judy Rukin
Pudsey, West Yorkshire


I notice at least two headed up by men, not women. Does anyone know if those "satellite" churches exhibit the same leadership problems ?

Hi seekingsusan

You seem to be under the impression that the anointing at SMC is the real thing. I for one have grave doubts that it is. I will explain best as I can why I think it is counterfiet. The Bible tells us as Christians that we will know the false Christians by their fruits. There are two kinds of anointing one is of the Holy Spirit the other is a counterfiet. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are everything that SMC leaders are NOT! I think that is why most of us have been left in a confused state. Trying to understand why they are so anointed and yet they are abusing Gods people. 1st Timothy 6:11 says "But you man of God flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. There is nothing righteous, Godly, loving, enduring, gentle, about the way God's people are being treated in SMC. If I thought that these people were the real thing, as in followers of Christ with the real anointing I would turn my back on Christianity, as to me it would be nothing but a sham. Hope this helps to answer your questions.

susie